Direct Air Capture & the Future of Carbon Removal with Aditya Bhandari, CEO of DACLab

03/14/25 • 42 min

Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy Podcast

Direct air capture (DAC) is a groundbreaking technology that could play a critical role in the fight against climate change. But is it scalable? Is it just greenwashing? And how can it become an economically viable solution? In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Aditya Bhandari, Co-Founder & CEO of DACLab, Inc., to discuss how his company is pioneering a new approach to DAC that is cost-effective, energy-efficient, and commercially scalable.

Aditya shares his unconventional journey from biomedical and chemical engineering to leading a carbon capture company, the breakthrough technology DACLab has developed, and how their "Decoupled Process Version 3" is setting new industry standards. He also dives into common misconceptions about DAC, why location is key for scaling, and how oil and gas companies can leverage DAC as part of their energy transition strategy.

Throughout the conversation, Aditya provides real-world insights on the business model behind DACLab, why they focus on R&D and manufacturing rather than project development, and how direct air capture can act as a bridge to a net-zero future. Plus, he shares his bold vision for the industry, predictions for the next 10 years of carbon removal, and the critical role that geothermal energy and waste heat sources play in making DAC economically viable.

Whether you’re a clean energy executive, investor, policymaker, or just passionate about climate tech, this episode is packed with practical insights on the future of carbon removal, energy policy, and commercialization strategies for emerging clean technologies.

Topics Covered in This Episode:
✔️ How direct air capture (DAC) works in simple terms
✔️ The biggest misconceptions about DAC (greenwashing, energy use, scalability)
✔️ How DAC can be an economic opportunity, not just a climate necessity
✔️ Why DAC should be treated as a waste management problem
✔️ The role of geothermal energy and waste heat in making DAC cost-effective
✔️ How oil & gas companies can leverage DAC in their transition to renewables
✔️ Why DACLab focuses on R&D and manufacturing instead of project development
✔️ The future of DAC: Scaling from pilot plants to 10 million metric tons by 2035
✔️ What the Department of Energy’s policy shifts could mean for carbon capture
✔️ The industries set to benefit the most from DAC technology (aviation, concrete, sequestration)

💡 Key Takeaway:
Direct air capture is not a silver bullet, but it’s a critical piece of the net-zero puzzle. It must be developed alongside renewable energy to provide real, scalable solutions for decarbonization.

🔗 Learn More About DACLab: www.daclab.us
Aditya Bhandari on LinkedIn

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Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

🔗 Learn More About DACLab: www.daclab.us
Aditya Bhandari on LinkedIn

🎧 Like this episode?
Subscribe to Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy and leave us a review!
Follow us on LinkedIn and share this episode with your network.

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

Previous Episode

Farming the Sun: Kristina Sweet on Unlocking Private Capital for Alberta’s Renewable Energy Future

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Kristina Sweet, Investment Director and Country Manager at Korkia, a global investment firm focused on accelerating the clean energy transition. With deep roots in Alberta’s energy industry, Kristina shares her journey from oil and gas to spearheading renewable investments, offering invaluable insights into navigating Alberta’s evolving energy market, unlocking private capital, and overcoming regulatory uncertainty.

Kristina dives into the challenges and opportunities of large-scale renewable development in Alberta, the critical role of private investment, and how Korkia has grown into one of the province’s leading renewable energy developers in just four years. She also shares the “Farming the Sun” mindset, an eye-opening perspective on land use, sustainability, and the future of energy in North America.

Key Topics Discussed:
✅ From Oil & Gas to Renewables – Kristina’s unique career path and why she transitioned into clean energy investment.
✅ Private Capital in Renewable Energy – Why Alberta’s renewables boom is not driven by government subsidies.
✅ Regulatory Uncertainty & Risk Management – The biggest challenges in Alberta’s energy sector and how investors can mitigate risk.
✅ Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) & Project Financing – Why securing contracts is harder than ever and what that means for development.
✅ Balancing Land Use & Clean Energy – How farmers and landowners can benefit from renewable projects while preserving agricultural heritage.
✅ Future Investment Trends – Why energy storage is the next big opportunity in Alberta and beyond.

Why Listen?
If you're an investor, developer, policymaker, or renewable energy enthusiast, this episode provides deep insights into the real-world challenges of financing and scaling renewable energy projects. Kristina’s hands-on approach to investment and development makes this a must-listen for anyone navigating the clean energy landscape.

Links:
Kristina Sweet on LinkedIn
Korkia's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

Next Episode

Transforming Energy Storage: Rob Piconi on Gravity Storage, AI Demand & the Future of Clean Energy

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Rob Piconi, Chairman and CEO of Energy Vault Holdings, to discuss how gravity-based energy storage, hybrid solutions, and AI-driven power demand are shaping the future of clean energy.

With the global surge in electricity consumption, particularly from AI-driven data centers and industrial decarbonization efforts, energy storage is more critical than ever. Energy Vault is pioneering long-duration, cost-effective, and sustainable storage solutions to ensure renewable energy can reliably power the grid.

Tune in as Rob shares:

✅ His career journey from telecom and healthcare to leading a renewable energy storage company
✅ How gravity storage technology works and why it's a scalable alternative to pumped hydro
✅ The challenges and breakthroughs in deploying large-scale energy storage projects worldwide
✅ How Energy Vault is tackling AI-driven electricity demand and grid reliability
✅ Why long-duration storage is lagging behind expectations—and what needs to happen next
✅ How their partnership with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is integrating storage directly into sustainable architecture
✅ The importance of hybrid energy storage solutions for utilities, industrials, and critical infrastructure

Key Takeaways:

Gravity Storage vs. Traditional Methods – Why Energy Vault’s gravity-based technology is a sustainable alternative to pumped hydro, with no reliance on concrete or rare earth metals.
Scaling Clean Energy Storage Globally – From California to China to Australia, Energy Vault is executing large-scale projects that address surging power demand and decarbonization goals.
Building-Integrated Energy Storage – Their partnership with SOM is developing a new generation of buildings with built-in gravity storage, making structures net energy-positive.
The Growing Power Demand Crisis – AI, cloud computing, and industrial power needs are putting unprecedented pressure on the grid. Energy storage is the key to balancing supply and demand.
Flexible Storage Solutions – Why utilities, independent power producers, and industrials require customized energy storage to meet short, long, and ultra-long duration needs.

Episode Links & Resources:
Energy Vault - EVu video
Calistoga Project Video
Energy Vault - EVy Video
Energy Vault's website
The Energy Vault Way
Rob Piconi on LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/